AUBURN, Alabama -- The seeds for the turnaround that set up the biggest Iron Bowl the college football world started to take root even before Gus Malzahn arrived on campus.

Mired in the muck of a 3-9 collapse, Auburn’s returning leaders soaked in each embarrassing moment – the third quarter against Texas A&M when Reese Dismukes looked up at the scoreboard in shock; the walk off the field after losses that left Dee Ford frustrated – and saw so many things that needed to change.

Under former head coach Gene Chizik, discipline had lapsed, some players stopped going to class, others skipped mandatory workouts and the Tigers hired a security firm to enforce an 11 p.m. curfew for the players, an avalanche that sunk Auburn into college football’s depths.

The losing left a mark. Auburn’s players were embarrassed.

"We’ve been through a lot," Ford told reporters earlier this season. "Everything that we went through last year is definitely showing this year. When you persevere through a season like that, you’ve been through nothing worse."

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What Auburn needed was somebody who could restore order to a program left in shambles.

That person turned out to be Gus Malzahn.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn talks to the offense after a touchdown during the fourth quarter Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

By early January, Malzahn had hired an impressive, experienced SEC staff, a group that immediately found out its biggest problem wasn’t on the field.

Auburn had to heal what Malzahn called mental scars.

"I think it started from the early stages. It was doubt, it was frustration, it was anger, lack of confidence," Johnson said. "They certainly were hungry for some success."

Malzahn reestablished discipline by installing specific punishments for missed infractions and hired new strength and conditioning coach Ryan Russell, who asked players to earn their status, the colors on their workout jerseys a reflection of work ethic, and put the Tigers through an offseason conditioning program that left players impressed by its intensity.

From the start, it was clear Auburn had talent. Johnson, a veteran of 38 years in coaching, called the Tigers the deepest team he’s ever seen in spring practice.

Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall (14) celebrates with teammates after the 45-41 victory over Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

"People can put whatever excuses on it, but I know we always had talent,” defensive tackle Gabe Wright said. “It was just about guys buying into the coaches and vice-versa."

Auburn’s new coaching staff had to rebuild that trust in addition to instilling discipline.

"At first, our coaches had high expectations for our players and it was more about us," Malzahn said. "We were learning about our players. Our coaching staff has done a very good job of developing relationships with our players and trust."

The players bought in, particularly to the goal of posting the biggest turnaround in college football, a mantra Tre Mason still follows.

Unlocking that talent took some time.

Auburn still had holes to fill in the spring, particularly at quarterback, a position that had been a revolving door for two straight seasons in the wake of the shooting star that was Cam Newton in his only year on campus.

For Malzahn, every team starts with naming the quarterback.

Until that player is in place, it’s difficult for Malzahn to start building his offense’s identity, and the Tigers headed into fall camp with plenty of uncertainty at the position.

"He’s a playmaker," tight end C.J. Uzomah said. "He’s one of the best athletes I’ve seen play quarterback."

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Auburn had its pieces in place, and the Tigers picked up wins against Washington State and Arkansas State to get the ball rolling.

Auburn tight end C.J. Uzomah (81) hauls in a pass to score the winning touchdown against Mississippi State during the fourth quarter Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

"When Nick and the offense, when we went on that drive, to me, that’s the most defining moment because that’s when our guys really overcame some big adversity," Lashlee said. "To me, that was the signature moment that let our guys believe we could beat anybody."

After a setback against LSU – a loss most observers viewed as the inevitable hiccups for a first-year SEC coach – Auburn found its offensive identity over the bye week, transforming from an offense that struggled to sustain its momentum into a unit that has overpowered teams with the run and made enough big plays in the passing game to provide balance.

Auburn got its second big win three weeks later, upsetting Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel on the road in a 45-41 shootout that let the rest of the nation know Auburn could be a player once again in the SEC.

"Each week you could just see it build," Lashlee said. "At that point, after we beat A&M, you kind of thought anything was possible, to be honest with you."

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From the start, Malzahn has eliminated any talk of 2012, but it’s clear that the disappointment left a mark that has motivated players

Mason, in particular, has no trouble talking about the Tigers’ fall from grace.

"I don’t really get tired of it because that’s what kept us motivated," Mason said. "I like hearing about it, keeps us reminded about what happened last season. It’s going to keep us fired up."

Auburn is proving it with a turnaround so complete that the Tigers are ranked higher in nearly every feasible statistical category. Behind Marshall and Mason, Auburn’s running game is averaging 320.3 yards per game – 15.3 more than the entire offense did a season ago. The Tigers have more than doubled their scoring average.

On defense, the yardage numbers haven’t improved quite so quickly, but Auburn’s giving up a full touchdown less than the Tigers did in 2012, and the defense has developed a penchant for coming up with big stops when it needs it most.

"These are the same guys, different circumstances,” Ford said. “It was beyond football last year. … It wasn’t a physical thing, it was a mental thing."

Someone tell ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer the Prayer in Jordan-Hare, while miraculous, did count as a Ricardo Louis touchdown and Auburn did beat Georgia. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

And then there’s Marshall, who has proven to be a big-time player in the clutch, from leading the Tigers back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit against Texas A&M to the Miracle in Jordan-Hare, the 73-yard deflection to Ricardo Louis that beat Georgia and set up the biggest Iron Bowl anybody can remember seeing, the SEC West and a whole bunch of other marbles still left on the table.

"I don’t know if I thought we’d be sitting here at 10-1," Lashlee said. "... I don’t know if I ever saw this happening but I never thought, ‘Ah, we can’t do that.’"

Neither have Auburn’s players.

"We’ve had very few times when the players ever slowed down, much less let go of the rope," Johnson said. "They’ve gotten a great reward for it, and certainly deserve it."

Only a year after the collapse, the Tigers have transformed, even though it might not quite have happened overnight.

"This team has the "It" factor," Malzahn said after Auburn’s win over Georgia. "That’s just the bottom line. … I think we’re in the midst of something special."